soothsay
Americanverb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of soothsay
First recorded in 1600–10; back formation from soothsayer
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But, he added, the ability to soothsay where a young man is going to be five years from now requires the scout to dig even deeper.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 7, 2016
A regular monthly column, for example, is called "Haruspex," for the Roman soothsay ers who divined the future by poking through the entrails of sacrificial animals.
From Time Magazine Archive
“Thou must be wealthy and art bountiful, so it is worth while to soothsay for thee.”
From The Pharaoh and the Priest An Historical Novel of Ancient Egypt by Alexander Glovatski
As soon as he was a little restored, Dontsovna came to him to soothsay; but she told him nothing good.
From With Fire and Sword An Historical Novel of Poland and Russia. by Henryk Sienkiewicz
He began to soothsay whether he should go or not.
From The Deluge, Vol. I. (of 2) An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Not thankful: All the hand-wringing and apocalyptic soothsaying about how artificial intelligence is a Pandora’s box that will steal our jobs and ultimately spell our doom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025
At least this is definitive proof that The Post doesn’t pay me for soothsaying.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 22, 2017
Frank Bruni: That is a bit of unimpeachable soothsaying, Gail.
From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2017
They’re like Tom Riddle’s diary of academic soothsaying.
From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2016
Chase didn’t want to get into Momma Rossi’s soothsaying.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
